All of the Depression Glass Companies have interesting histories. Many of them were bought and sold and merged with other companies. As the American lifestyle changed throughout the 1950s and 1960s glass became a less popular household item and many companies went under or were sold to or merged with other companies. Here are the Depression Glass Companies - each has a page with its history and links to the patterns by that company.
Anchor Hocking Most Anchor Hocking Depression Glass was made by the Hocking Company prior to their merger with Anchor in 1937. The company started in 1905 and is still in operation today.
Cambridge Glass Company was located in Cambridge, Ohio and began operations in 1907. After it closed in 1958, Imperial Glass acquired many of their molds.
Duncan & Miller The Duncan and Miller Glass Company began in as George Duncan & Sons in 1865. It was closed in 1955 and most of their molds were sold to Tiffin. Tiffin operated a Duncan & Miller division until 1980.
Federal Glass Company
was founded in 1900, in Columbus, Ohio and is still in operation today.
The Fenton Glass Company was founded in 1905 by two brothers and is still in operation today. They had one Depression Glass pattern and a number of popular patterns in the 40s, 50s & 60s.
Fostoria
was founded in 1887 by Lucian B. Martin and a group of investors in Fostoria, Ohio. They went out of business in 1986.
Hazel Atlas
Hazel Atlas Glass Company is one of the best known Depression Glass Companies. It was founded in 1902 in Wheeling, West Virginia when four glass companies merged and was in operation until 1956.
Heisey
The A.H. Heisey Glass Company was founded in the city of Newark in Ohio, in 1895. After the factory was closed in 1957, Imperial Glass purchased Heisey molds and continued to manufacture many of the patterns until 1984 when Imperial Glass Company went out of business.
Imperial Glass Company
was founded in 1901 by an ex-riverboat captain and experienced glass maker named Edward Muhleman. The company closed in 1984.
Indiana Glass Company
was formed in the early 1900s when Beatty-Brady Glass merged with National Glass Combine. It is also one of the best known Depression Glass Companies. The company closed for good in 2002 after a long worker's strike.
Jeannette Glass Company
began in the late 1880s as Jeannette Bottle Works, located suitably in Jeannette PA and was closed in 1983.
Lancaster Glass was founded in 1908 and acquired by Anchor Hocking in the late 1920s. Anchor Hocking still has a glass plant in Lancaster, Ohio.
LE Smith - For over 100 years the LE Smith Glass Company has created amazing hand made, pressed glass. A testament to LE Smith Glass patterns and products is the longevity. Where many other glass companies died during or after the depression the LE Smith Company continued to thrive.
Libbey Glassware is often misspelled as Libby. For over 200 years Libbey has been a leader in glass tableware. The Libbey story begins in the 1800s with Boston Porcelain and Glass Company.
McKee Glass Company is well-known in the glass making industry. Having originated in 1853 as McKee and Brothers Glass Works, McKee focused its efforts on quality crystal glassware. Unlike some operations at that juncture, McKee Glass Company could fill volume orders.
New Martinsville
was founded in 1901 and became Viking Glass in 1944.
Morgantown Glass Company was established in 1899 in Morgantown, West Virginia. The company was known throughout its history for on-going innovation and forward thinking. Their designers used unique shapes and high quality pieces. The most popular colors of glassware included ruby, magenta, jade, black, pink, Ritz blue, and amethyst.
Tiara Glassware is a more modern line of collectible glassware. All of the pieces were made by well-known Depression Glass Companies.
Tiffin Glass was founded in 1888 and eventually became owned by US Glass. Glassware made in the factory was called Tiffin, for it's location - but there never was an actual "Tiffin Glass Company".
U.S. Glass was founded in Tiffin Ohio in 1891 (this was the hand-worked glass site. The automated cite was in Gas City, In). 17 years later it had grown to a staggering size – operating 11 plants with a working capital of over three million dollars.
Paden City Glass - As the name implies, Paden City Glass Manufacturing Company had its beginnings in Paden City, West Virginia in 1916. The focus of the company was pressed and molded, high quality glassware.
Westmoreland Glass Company is best known for milk glass, but they also created many collectible glass patterns and pieces between 1889 and 1984, including two very popular Depression Glass Patterns.
All of the Depression Glass Companies have interesting histories. Many of them were bought and sold and merged with other companies. As the American lifestyle changed throughout the 1950s and 1960s glass became a less popular household item and many companies went under or were sold to or merged with other companies. Here are the Depression Glass Companies - each has a page with its history and links to the patterns by that company.
